Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s Akira, adapted to the big screen from his own manga of the same name, proved to be a significant turning point by demonstrating to Western audiences  that Japanese animation was not solely intended for children, paving the way for anime to become internationally a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s.

Set in 2019, this dystopian science-fiction film takes place in Neo-Tokyo, built to replace the city of Tokyo after its destruction in World War III. Rocked by corruption, rising crime rates, and fighting between youth gangs, the new city is home to a government that is staging secret experiments to push the limits of the human mind. A young man named Tetsuo, a member of a motorcycle gang, gets recruited by the state to take part in a secret military project. Meanwhile, his childhood friend Kaneda is about to get entangled in an intricate plot in his attempt to rescue Tetsuo.

Ôtomo fuses a young generation's rage with Japan’s fear of destruction, the government’s desire for control, and the potential catastrophes that technological power can unleash by employing an artistic craftsmanship that still inspires awe today.